Meeting of EDF Skills Sub-Group

7th June 2005, Adelaide House, Belfast

 

ATTENDEES

 

Sub-Group Members:

 

Michael Maguire

Raymond Mullen

Heather Stevens

 

Apologies;

 

Gerry McGinn

Tom Gillen

 

 

1.                  Welcome and apologies

 

The Chairman welcomed members to the second meeting of the Skills Sub-Group and recorded received apologies.

 

2.                  Minutes from last meeting

 

Minutes accepted without amendment.

 

3.                  Skills Landscape

 

Heather Stevens introduced the ‘Skills Landscape’ paper and invited questions and comment. Members found the paper helpful, reflecting that it served to confirm the existence of a particularly cluttered institutional landscape. As a result this presented considerable performance management and measurement difficulties. In response to the perceived difficulties in meeting the remit set for the Sub-Group and for Government in measuring success it was suggested that a centralised planning and integrated performance management framework would be beneficial. The creation of both would support the Skills Sub-Group in delivering against its monitoring and challenge functions. Members strongly felt that acceptance of the status quo should not be the only option and that significant simplification of the landscape was necessary if possible. The issue was raised as to the extent that the ‘Skills Strategy’ could meet the EDF Vision. To help clarify the position it was agreed that DEL would present a paper on the alignment between EDF Economic Vision Skills Objectives and the NI Skills Strategy at the September Sub-Group meeting.

 

4.                  Priority Issues

 

The Chairman encouraged the Group to identify key issues that offered the best opportunities for progress in the short to medium term. Members agreed to initially concentrate on:

 

  • Careers Guidance and Education – DEL agreed to present a    Framework Paper at the next scheduled meeting.

 

  • Costello Report – as a starting point further information on DEL and DE’s implementation plans (particularly the interface between schools and the FE sector) would be required.

 

  • Management & Leadership Initiatives – copies of the recent MLN paper mapping provision in this area was requested to inform the Group’s work.

 

5.                  Skills Group Composition

 

Additional representation from the private sector was encouraged and the Chairman asked members to provide nominations for consideration in advance of the next meeting of the Skills Sub-Group in September.

 

6.                  Consideration of other jurisdictions

 

Members felt there would be benefit in seeking input from the ‘Expert Group in Future Skills’ operating in the ROI. The Chairman agreed to identify and invite a representative to address the next meeting of the Skills Sub-Group. It was also felt that reference to the international practices considered in the ‘Leitch Review of Skills’ and the models highlighted at the 2004 Belmont Conference would be useful.

 

7.                  Date of next meeting

 

The next meeting will be held on Monday 5th September 2005. Venue and time to be confirmed.

 

 

ACTIONS

 

Skills Sub-Group Priorities

 

  • Careers Guidance Framework paper -  DEL
  • Costello Implementation Plan – DEL/DE
  • Management & Leadership Mapping paper – DEL

 

Other Jurisdictions

 

  • ‘Expert Group’ representative invite – Chairman
  • Belmont Conference/Leitch Recommendations – DEL

 

Skills Landscape

 

  • EDF Vision – Skills Strategy Contribution paper – DEL

 

Composition of Group

 

  • Private sector nominations - ALL